Football reporter

When the referee blew his whistle for half-time in the Sydney derby last Saturday night, for Brett Emerton, it was a good as full-time.

While the score was 0-0 and the 34-year-old was holding his own, his body was seizing up and the pain in his lower back was so acute that every step was agony.

As Emerton eased into the Parramatta Stadium dressing room, he knew the half-time pep talk by Frank Farina - the coach who helped him become a household name - would be his last.

But, mentally, because elite sportsmen reprogram their minds to never concede, so Emerton kept going. Just as he had done over the past 18 years, for club and country.

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Six minutes into the second half, another sheet of pain shot up his spine. He bit his lip, ambled over to the bench and nodded to Farina.

For a man who built his professional career on his endurance, and a pain tolerance bordering on masochistic, it was tough to swallow. He was at the edge of the cliff; the abyss of retirement stared back.

A farewell game - with the public given the opportunity to pay their respects to an all-time great - was offered but Emerton, in keeping with his character, was uneasy with the fuss.

There will be a public farewell at the Socceroos' next home match, befitting recognition for a player who made it to almost 500 professional league games and almost a century of international caps. He ended five matches short.